Note for teachers using this lesson plan
Before this lesson, prepare a complete set of uppercase and lowercase letter flashcards (Aa-Zz) and a chart displaying simple greetings and commands. The central idea for pupils is to visually match uppercase letters to their lowercase counterparts and to confidently use and respond to basic greetings and commands. Observe pupils’ ability to correctly pair letters and their participation in greeting exchanges to ensure successful learning.
Class: Pre-School Level 3
Term: Third Term
Week: 1
Age: 4 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Letter Work
Previous Lesson: Basic Letter Recognition and Sounds
Topic: Matching Uppercase and Lowercase Aa-Zz with Greetings and Commands
Subject Matter: Speech and Structure: Matching uppercase letters with lowercase. Simple greetings and commands. Identification of letters Aa – Zz (Upper and Lower Case). Greeting at school. Greetings at home. Identifying names/titles. General greeting. Weekly focus: Matching Uppercase and Lowercase Aa-Zz with Greetings and Commands.
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- Identify uppercase and lowercase letters from Aa-Zz.
- Match uppercase letters to their corresponding lowercase letters.
- Recall simple greetings and commands.
Affective Domain
- Listen attentively to greetings and commands.
- Participate enthusiastically in greeting sessions.
Psychomotor Domain
- Point to matched letter pairs.
- Demonstrate appropriate actions for simple commands.
Social Domain
- Greet the teacher and classmates appropriately.
- Respond politely to greetings.
Reference Materials
- NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 3
- Relevant Early Childhood Care and Education resources
- Early years literacy workbooks
Instructional Materials
- Large letter flashcards (uppercase Aa-Zz)
- Small letter flashcards (lowercase Aa-Zz)
- Chart showing uppercase and lowercase letters matched
- Chart with common greetings and commands
- Word cards for greetings (e.g., “Good morning”, “Hello”)
- Writing books/activity sheets for matching
- Crayons or pencils
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson is important for 4-year-olds as it builds foundational literacy skills by helping them recognise and match letter forms, which is crucial for reading readiness. Simultaneously, it develops essential social and communication skills through the practice of greetings and commands, enabling children to interact politely and understand instructions in their daily lives at home and school.
Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Pupils can recognise some uppercase letters and understand simple instructions. They are familiar with basic social interactions like saying “hello” or “thank you”.
Lesson Content/Board Summary
Matching Uppercase and Lowercase Aa-Zz with Greetings and Commands
Letter Matching: Uppercase and Lowercase Letters (Aa-Zz)
Letters have two forms:
Uppercase letters (BIG letters) like A, B, C.
Lowercase letters (small letters) like a, b, c.
We need to learn to match the big letter to its small letter.
Examples:
- A matches a
- B matches b
- C matches c
- … all the way to Z matches z
Letter Matching Rhyme
Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Lyrics:
Big A, small a, can you see?
Match them up for you and me.
Big B, small b, side by side,
Let the letters be our guide.
Big C, small c, what a pair,
Letters matching everywhere!
Actions: Point to big letters, then small letters, then bring hands together to show matching.
Greetings and Commands
Greetings are polite words we say when we meet people or say goodbye. They show respect and friendliness.
Common Greetings:
- Good morning (when you wake up or meet in the morning)
- Good afternoon (afternoon time)
- Good evening (evening time)
- Good night (when going to bed)
- Hello (general greeting)
- How are you? (asking about someone’s well-being)
Commands are short instructions or requests that tell us what to do.
Simple Commands:
- Sit down
- Stand up
- Come here
- Listen
- Be quiet
- Thank you
- Please
Greetings and Commands Chant
Tune: (Spoken rhythm)
Lyrics:
Good morning, teacher, how are you?
I am fine, and how are you too?
“Sit down, please!” (Pupils sit)
“Stand up, please!” (Pupils stand)
We use our words, kind and true!
Actions: Bow for greetings, sit and stand on command, point to mouth for “words”.
Watch and Learn: Matching Letters
Key Words
- Uppercase – The big letters of the alphabet (e.g., A, B, C).
- Lowercase – The small letters of the alphabet (e.g., a, b, c).
- Match – To find two things that are the same or go together.
- Greet – To say hello or welcome someone.
- Command – A simple instruction to do something.
💡 Teacher Guide for Using This Board Summary
How to teach the content: Begin by displaying the letter chart and explaining the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters using clear examples. Point to each letter pair and say their names. For greetings and commands, use the chart to introduce each phrase, explaining when to use them. Emphasize polite tone and actions.
What to show or demonstrate: Use large flashcards to demonstrate matching uppercase to lowercase letters. Physically place the small letter next to its big partner. For greetings, model shaking hands or bowing slightly while saying “Good morning.” For commands, demonstrate “Sit down” by sitting, “Stand up” by standing, etc.
How to use the rhyme/song: Introduce the “Letter Matching Rhyme” after explaining letter forms. Sing it slowly with actions, repeating several times. Use the “Greetings and Commands Chant” after introducing greetings and commands, encouraging pupils to perform the actions as they chant.
How to use the video: Introduce the video as a fun way to learn about matching letters. Play the “Uppercase and Lowercase Letters Song” (Jack Hartmann) for pupils. After watching, encourage pupils to sing along and point to the letters they see on the screen or on their flashcards.
What to watch for: Observe if pupils can distinguish between big and small letters. Check for correct pronunciation of greetings and appropriate responses. Ensure they follow simple commands correctly.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Role-play, Imitation, Manipulation of Objects, Repetition, Practical Activity.
Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 3 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engagement/Recall
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils warmly, sings a familiar “Hello” song, and asks them to recall some letters they know. The teacher then introduces the day’s topic: learning to match big and small letters and how to use good greetings and commands.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, sing along, and call out letters they remember. They listen attentively to the introduction of the new topic.
Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and prepared for the lesson.
Step 2: Presentation – Letter Matching (Aa-Zz)
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Visual Aid
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the chart of uppercase and lowercase letters (Aa-Zz). The teacher explains that each letter has a “big” (uppercase) and a “small” (lowercase) form, pointing to examples like A and a, B and b.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the chart, listen to the teacher’s explanation, and repeat the names of a few letter pairs as the teacher points to them.
Learning Point: Pupils recognise that letters have two forms: uppercase and lowercase.
Step 3: Demonstration – Letter Matching
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Modelling/Practical Display
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher takes a set of mixed uppercase and lowercase flashcards. The teacher picks an uppercase letter (e.g., ‘D’) and asks pupils to identify it. Then, the teacher searches for its matching lowercase letter (‘d’) and demonstrates how to place them together on the board. This is repeated for a few more letters.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the letters shown by the teacher and observe how the teacher matches the uppercase and lowercase forms.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the process of matching uppercase to lowercase letters.
Step 4: Guided Practice – Letter Matching and Rhyme
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Activity/Reinforcement
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes mixed uppercase and lowercase flashcards to groups of pupils. The teacher guides them to find the matching pairs. The “Letter Matching Rhyme” is sung to reinforce the concept, encouraging pupils to point to their matched cards.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils work in groups to match their letter flashcards. They sing the rhyme and point to their matched letters.
Learning Point: Pupils actively practice matching uppercase and lowercase letters.
Step 5: Presentation & Demonstration – Greetings and Commands
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Introduction/Role-play
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays the chart of greetings and commands. The teacher introduces “Good morning,” “Hello,” and “Sit down,” demonstrating each greeting with appropriate actions (e.g., bowing, waving) and commands (e.g., sitting). The teacher explains when to use each one.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the teacher, observe the demonstrations, and repeat the greetings and commands after the teacher.
Learning Point: Pupils learn common greetings and simple commands and their appropriate use.
Step 6: Guided Practice – Greetings and Commands and Chant
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Interactive Practice/Role-play
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher initiates a greeting session, greeting individual pupils and encouraging them to respond. The teacher gives simple commands like “Stand up,” “Sit down,” and “Come here,” and praises pupils for following them. The “Greetings and Commands Chant” is performed with actions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practice greeting the teacher and their classmates. They respond to commands and perform the actions in the chant.
Learning Point: Pupils gain confidence in using and responding to greetings and commands.
Step 7: Evaluation/Review
Time: 4 minutes
Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.
- Show me the small letter ‘e’ that matches the big letter ‘E’.
- What do you say when you meet someone in the morning?
- Match the uppercase ‘K’ to its lowercase ‘k’ on your worksheet.
- What should you do when I say “Sit down”?
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.
Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.
Step 8: Conclusion
Time: 2 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarisation/Wrap-up
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the lesson by reminding pupils about matching big and small letters and the importance of using good greetings and following commands. The teacher encourages them to practice at home and dismisses the class with a “Goodbye, children!”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and respond to the teacher’s goodbye.
Learning Point: Pupils review the main concepts and are encouraged to apply them.
Lesson Keywords
- Uppercase – Big letters.
- Lowercase – Small letters.
- Match – Put together things that are the same.
- Greet – Say hello.
- Command – An instruction to do something.
Differentiation
- Support: For pupils struggling with letter matching, provide fewer letter pairs at a time (e.g., A-E only). Use larger, more distinct flashcards. Provide hand-over-hand guidance for matching. For greetings, focus on just “Hello” and “Good morning” with repetitive practice.
- Extension: For pupils who quickly grasp the concepts, challenge them to identify letters out of sequence or to name a word that starts with a given letter. For greetings, encourage them to initiate greetings with different classmates or to use “Thank you” and “Please” in simple sentences.
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